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Arts & Culture

Saving The Bay: Bay In The Balance (1906 - Present)

The Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco skyline through the fog.
Courtesy of KQED
The Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco skyline through the fog.

Airs Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV

Narrated by Robert Redford, this award-winning documentary explores one of America's greatest natural resources – San Francisco Bay. Shot in high definition, "Saving The Bay" consists of four one-hour episodes focusing on the geological, cultural, and developmental history of San Francisco Bay and the larger northern California watershed, from the Sierra Nevada mountains to the Farallon Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

The series explores the Bay’s evolution, how it was almost lost to development, and plans for the future, including wetland restoration, increased public access, and balancing the often competing needs of a fragile ecosystem that is the centerpiece of a major urban area.

"Saving The Bay" also tells the story of three women who rallied an entire region to save San Francisco Bay from becoming little more than a river, an inspirational example of how ordinary citizens can have an impact on protecting and enhancing our natural environment.

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Episode Four: "Bay In The Balance (1906 - Present)" - In the final episode, the very survival of the Bay is threatened by the postwar boom. Viewers are introduced to the leaders of the Save The Bay campaign of the 1960s and the birth of the national mass environmental movement. As the Bay Area looks to the future, the issue becomes how best to balance the competing demands of a major urban center set amidst an environmentally significant landscape.

"Saving The Bay" is on Facebook.

Saving The Bay: Threats to San Francisco Bay: Climate Change and Pollution
Saving The Bay: San Francisco Bay: A Unique Estuary